The caddis pupa is best fished on a swinging presentation.
The Z-Wing Caddis is a Mike Mercer pattern designed to imitate the emerging caddis pupa. The fly uses flashy materials to represent the trapped air bubbles on an emerging pupa, and features green and tan body colors to match the natural colors of a caddis pupa. The pattern used for tying the Z-Wing Caddis is not complex, but the material portions must be properly applied and controlled to match the pattern.
Instructions
1. Place the hook in the fly tying vise and clamp the jaws. Start the thread at the half point on the hook shank. Wrap the thread to the bend in the hook. Cut a thin section of turkey tail fibers from a feather. Make four wraps of thread to secure the fibers at the bend in the hook.
2. Cut a 1-foot long section of olive 6/0 thread from a spool. Hold the thread on the bend of the hook and make three wraps with the original thread to secure it in place.
3. Apply a thin layer of dubbing wax to the primary fly tying thread. Cover the thread with olive antron dubbing and twist the dubbing with your fingers to secure it to the thread. Wrap the dubbing beginning at the bend in the hook and ending two-thirds of the way down the hook shank.
4. Pull the turkey over the back of the fly. Secure the turkey immediately behind the dubbing by making four wraps of thread. Grab the olive thread at the bend in the hook and wrap it around the body in a diagonal pattern until you reach the primary thread. Secure the ribbing thread with three wraps of primary thread.
5. Cut a short section of ginger Z-lon. Measure the Z-lon to match one-half of the hook shank. Make four firm wraps of thread to secure the Z-lon wing in place.
6. Tie three strands of peacock herl immediately behind the wing. Wrap the thread to the eye of the hook. Wrap the peacock herl to form a round ball and make three thread wraps to secure the herl to hook. Cut away the excess herl.
7. Use a whip finisher to half hitch the thread. Cut away the excess thread and apply a small drop of head cement to the half hitched thread.
Related posts
The golden stonefly is an aquatic insect that thrives in cold, oxygenated waters. The insect is an important food source for trout and the nymphs are available as a year-round food source. Tying f...
Parachute dry flies ride low in the surface film.The mayfly is composed of a tail, abdomen, thorax and legs. Gills and wing pads are present on the submerged nymph form and the adult has two wings...
The damsel is prolific in weed beds.The damsel fly is a common insect in lakes and slow moving rivers. The insect is often confused as a small dragonfly because of the long abdomen. The damsel is...
Kelly Galloup streamers are designed to target large trout.Kelly Galloup owns and operates the Slide Inn fly shop on the Madison River in southwest Montana. Galloup is an innovative fly angler and...
The Yellow Dancer is a European streamer fly.The Yellow Dancer is a version of the wooly bugger used by European fly anglers. The streamer style fly is an attractor that is effective for trout, ba...
